Statue In Progress to Immortalize South Plains Hero

Call it a dream made of clay. A 15 foot vision of heroism, soon to be the largest bronze statue in Lubbock of fallen astronaut Willie McCool. "That is massive. Twice the life size," said Designer and Sculptor Eddie Dixon.

Sculptors Dixon and Terry Wade have been detailing every part of the McCool statue to make it look as realistic as possible. "We have his portrait here, he's a handsome fellow. We've worked hard to make the portrait as much like Willie," said Terry. "We thought the squinty eyes was a good expression to have, the wife wanted it," said Eddie.

Eddie and Terry have worked relentlessly to sculpt the mold to perfection. In the next 200 hours, the mold will be waxed, and that mold will be molded into a ceramic piece which the bronze will be poured into. The bronze pieces will be welded together and built up to full size. Then, the finishing touch. The sheen outer layer that every one will see. A rich bronze color with gold tones applied to the hands and face. "There's a lot of pressure that you don't want to fail the family. Especially in this situation. There has to be a legacy for future generations in Lubbock to know heroes come out of here as well," said Eddie.

Eddie and Terry say that when this statue is all through, a dozen artists will have touched this sculpture in some way. They are the builders of eternity, scraping away until a hero comes back to life.

The unveiling of the McCool statue is set for the end of February at Huneke Park, right next to the Lubbock Area Veterans War Memorial.

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